Summer in the Lab
by Dispatch22705
Summary: With Angela and Hodgins' baby born, they decide to have their own summer interns. Cam does as well, and Brennan puts Wendell in charge of leading them if needed. Summer friendship and love blossom while Wendell decides his future. Rated M for future chaps


** Hello, hello! Well, it's October 3rd, which is awesome, and means BONES will be back in one month! Yay!**

**I know, I know...it's not summer time any longer ( at least not where I live), but I still think it will be fun to take a look at what might have happened during this summer. Yes, this story is Wendell-centric, and it will also follow the thoughts and feelings and emotions of three summer interns at the Jeffersonian. There will also be some B&B scenes for sure.**

**Hopefully this story will help this last hiatus month go by more smoothly. I don't know if I'll be able to post every single day, but I hope to, and I know for sure that I'll be done with it by the season seven premiere. In other news, I also plan to do another 24 hour marathon on the Saturday before the premiere. Wish me luck! In other other news, I couldn't have even gotten this story started without the help of the lovely SleeplessInAtlanta, Esq. She is awesome.**

**Here's just a little snippet to get us started. More later tonight (including meeting the new interns!) **

**~~sitl~~**

"Alright, people," Cam clasped her hands together. "Tomorrow's the big day." She looked at Angela and Hodgins, raising one eyebrow at their big smiles. "Okay, seriously? Are you really that excited?"

"Are you kidding?" Angela smiled. "Our very own interns? Come on, Cam…you've gotta be _a little_ jazzed, right?"

"Totally," Hodgins nodded, slipping his arm around Angela's waist. "Look, with the two of us attempting to take it a little easier this summer, we definitely can use the help around here. And besides," he kissed his wife on the cheek. "It'll be fun."

"Fun," Cam drolled, crossing her arms over her chest and sighing. "Breaking in new interns is not my idea of a good summer. Breaking in a new bikini and pair of sandals? _Much_ more pleasant."

"What new interns?" Wendell asked as he approached the lab platform. His brow furrowed and his head tilted to the side in suspicious confusion. "I thought…" he spared a glance toward Cam. "I thought I was picking up the summer hours around here."

"You are, buddy," Hodgins slapped him on the back. "This is something different."

"Right," Cam nodded. "In fact, I believe Dr. Brennan wants to speak with you about it right now."

"Oh," Wendell felt more confused than ever. "Okay…I guess I'll go talk to her about it." He set the box he'd been carrying down on the table and forcing a smile, walked past Cam, Hodgins and Angela toward Brennan's office. Once he reached the door, he gave a small knock, surprised when he saw Booth flinch from his position on Brennan's couch.

"Um…am I interrupting something?" he asked, though there was no reason to ask. Dr. Brennan was seated at her desk, and obviously he hadn't interrupted anything. Still, with Brennan and her partner, there was always that underlying sensation.

"Of course not," Brennan scoffed slightly, and Wendell missed the soft blush that threatened to cover her cheeks. "I've been expecting you, Mr. Bray. Have a seat."

Wendell nodded toward Booth as he sat on the couch. Booth rose with a soft grunt and then perched on the side of Brennan's desk, leaving the younger man to feel as if he was being interrogated. "Am I under arrest?" he joked, then flushed at his lame attempt at humor.

"Nope," Booth spoke for the first time, flashing a confident grin. "Bones here has something even better in mind, right, Bones?"

Brennan spared him a quick glance. "I'm sure I have no idea whether or not Mr. Bray would consider what I'm about to tell him better than being arrested. I've heard that some male youths enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes from being apprehended by the law, seeking out ill advised behaviors and-"

"Um," Wendell interrupted. "I'm just curious to know what you have to say, Dr. Brennan. I…I don't want to be arrested."

"That is very wise," Brennan nodded. "On both counts." She stood and made her way to the other side of her desk. "Hodgins and Angela have decided they want to work fewer hours, now that their baby has been born. I don't see how this is a good thing, but…" Brennan continued, ignoring the small but pointed way Booth cleared his throat. "But…because of that, and because of the fact that all of the other graduate students are gone for the summer, we've decided to bring on a summer intern for both Angela and Hodgins as well as Dr. Saroyan."

Wendell leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "But I'm still your graduate student, right?"

"Of course," Brennan bristled a tiny bit. "Logically, it makes sense for you to assist these interns in learning about the lab, how cases work, and any other additional detail."

"Right," Booth tapped his pen on Brennan's desk. "What Bones means is that not only are you the logical choice, but she felt you're best for the job. Right, Bones?" he smiled.

"That's what I said," she replied.

"Noooo…" he shook his head. 'You _said_ he was the logical choice."

"Yes," Brennan rebutted. "But I always _want_ the logical choice, therefore-"

"Ookay," Wendell interrupted for the second time, standing up and shoving his hands into his labcoat pockets. "Sounds great. I uh…I accept. And it starts tomorrow?"

"Yes," Brennan said again. She opened her mouth to say more, but then Booth's phone rang. Wendell watched as he answered it quickly, and within a matter of seconds, he was left alone in Brennan's office.

"Yeah," he muttered to no one in particular. "Okay…great."

He stood up and walked to Brennan's office door. From this viewpoint, the lab seemed different. He could imagine what it seemed like to Dr. Brennan, standing there and preparing to greet her students every day. Just then, Wendell felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He checked the caller ID, and then, "Hey Ma,"

With a smile on his face, he leaned in the doorjamb, "Yeah, I know I forgot to call this morning. No, no…things are just fine. Everything is fine." He half-listened as his mother went through the neighborhood news—most of it hadn't changed in five years, and he could practically recite it by heart.

"There's a science opening at the middle school," he heard his mother say, and that pulled him up short. His lips straightened and he shoved his other hand in his pocket, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby. Not that he needed to account for every piece of information, but he didn't want anyone at the lab knowing that he'd been thinking of leaving. "Oh?" he tried to casually inquire, and it worked because his mother filled him in on more details.

Wendell listened and only when he saw Cam motion him from the platform did he move away from Brennan's office. "Hey Ma, I gotta get back to work. I'll call you later. I promise. Love you…" He slid is phone in his pocket and walked to the platform, trying to put the new information out of his mind. He loved working at the lab, but sometimes he wondered if maybe it was time to go back home. A lot of people had sacrificed in order to get him where he was, and maybe it was time to give back a little. Go back home and let some other kids get away for awhile.

"Everything okay?" Cam was eyeing him, and Wendell realized he was still standing at the foot of the platform steps.

"What?" he flushed. "Yeah, yep…I'm good." He hustled up the steps and tried to concentrate on his work for the day.

~~sitl~~


End file.
